Prana Meets Pints: Yoga in a Brewery?

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Namaste. Stand at the front of your mat, eyes closed, sides of the big toes touching, spine straight, arms at your sides. Now, take a deep breath, inhaling the wonderful scent of hops...

And so begins another yoga class in a brewery taught by Denver resident Adrienne Rinaldi. November marks the one-year anniversary of her first sudsy class, which was held at Boulder's Twisted Pine Brewing, and the birth of her company, Brewasanas. Rinaldi, 30, now teaches more than a half-dozen yoga classes a month at breweries in Boulder, Denver, Lone Tree, and Westminster. “I love teaching in the brewery setting,” Rinaldi says. “It’s so unique, and attracts people who would never try yoga because they’re intimidated to go inside a studio where everyone is really bendy.”

Rinaldi first got the idea to pair beer and asanas (the Sanskrit word for yoga poses) in June 2012. She’d started a Meetup group to offer yoga classes at City Park and noticed more people came when she included beer afterward. Today, her classes take place indoors, either beside the barrels, in the taproom, or in the brewery restaurant with the tables pushed back, depending on the location. The $20 price includes a pint immediately following shavasana (the final pose). Rinaldi’s business plan is simple: She charges a flat rate per student per class, and the host brewery takes a cut.

Rinaldi is also known as the blogger behind “The Beer Snob Chick," but she contends that her yoga prowess is just as developed as her taste in beer. Despite the fun setting (and sticky floor), her classes are an authentic yoga experience. Class lasts an hour, and is appropriate for all levels. Rinaldi particularly encourages first-timers, but yoga mats are not provided, so BYOM.

Jayme Moye writes about all things adventure. Follow her on Twitter (@JaymeMoye).